Whatever Happens
by LittleDragon94
Summary: For the first round of the Harry Potter Challenge "Writing World Cup 2013". Frank and Alice Longbottom receive orders for a mission over breakfast.


For round one of the Harry Potter Challenge "Writing World Cup 2013".

The prompts: "**Whatever happens tomorrow we had today and that's all that matters**" and "**Breakfast**"

The characters: **Frank** and **Alice Longbottom**.

* * *

Alice and Frank Longbottom were highly skilled Aurors and members of the Order of the Pheonix.

They had fought for years against the tyranny of the so-called "Dark Lord". As a husband and wife team they had faced him not once, but three times. And - more amazingly - they had survived all three encounters with little more than a handful of scrapes and a lot of bruises.

Some said they were lucky. Frank's mother said they were tempting fate and should get out of their jobs while they still could. But that wasn't the type of thing that Frank and Alice would even consider. Not while there were still dark wizards and witches on the loose, posing a threat to the safety of the Wizarding World.

Frank and Alice were Gryffindors. And though to most people that label came with a certain degree of recklessness and impulsiveness, to the Longbottom couple it meant duty.

They had a duty to do what others were afraid to do, to face what others were terrified of facing - no matter what the cost. To those brave two, not even the birth of their son, Neville, could stop them from doing their duty to society. In fact, it only made them more focused on their job.

But now, after so many years, their duty was done. Or so they thought.

Word had spread like fiendfyre on Halloween night. Lord Voldemort had hunted down and killed Lily and James Potter, but had been impossibly defeated by their one year old son, Harry. No one could work out how the boy had survived an encounter with, much less defeated, the most powerful dark wizard of the century.

Alice had hugged Neville tight when she heard the news. He was the same age as Harry and didn't understand why his mother had silent tears running down her cheeks.

She and Frank had been good friends with Lily and James. Three years their junior, the Potters had joined the Order straight out of school and proved themselves extremely capable. Frank had even suggested that they apply for jobs with the Auror office once the war was over.

And now it seemed that the war was indeed over.

After a decade of rainy days, the sun was finally shining through. The hope of a brighter tomorrow had arrived.

So it was when Frank, Alice and little Neville Longbottom were sat at their cottage breakfast table days after the news of Voldemort's defeat had arrived.

Alice was spoon-feeding Neville some mushy food that Frank had commented looked like flobberworm mucus, when the rat-tat-tat of a beak on the window alerted them to the presence of a ruffled tawny owl outside.

Frank opened the window and retrieved the letter from the bird, exchanging it for a crust of toast. The owl was well known to the Longbottoms as it was their colleague Alastor Moody's owl, Kleos.

Frank grunted as he read the folded parchment.

'What is it love?' Alice asked, the spoon of food hovering in front of Neville's mouth. Neville tried to grab the spoon with a chubby hand.

'We've got a mission tomorrow. The Lestranges are still on the loose and the Office has a lead on them. They want us to check it out.' Frank passed the letter over to his wife. Neville looked glumly at his spoonful of food that Alice set back in the bowl.

'Arrington, Egington and Davenport. That's our team? Where's Moody?'

'He's at a hearing in Azkaban.'

'Scrimgeour?'

'Still on werewolf watch. Crouch doesn't want to risk leaving them in peace until he's sure they won't rebel again.'

Alice shook her head. 'Shacklebolt, Danson and Robards as back up. Could be better, but I guess it'll have to do. It'll be a weight off my mind to know those sadists aren't still out there.'

Alice was trying to be positive, but there was something nagging at the back of her mind.

Frank noticed.

'Al, whatever happens tomorrow, we still have today. And that's all that matters.' In one long stride, he crouched beside his wife and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. 'I love you.' He whispered, looking her sternly in the eye. 'Dont forget that. We'll get through whatever they throw at us, as long as we're together.'

Alice smiled, stroking the stubbly side of Frank's face where he hadn't shaved. 'Love you.' She whispered in return.

Frank stood up and took over Neville's feeding.

Alice looked out of the window into the distance.

The sun had gone. The weather outside was overcast, as though it knew what fate awaited the happy couple that very next day.


End file.
